TheNewsGuru

Tag: National Assembly

  • Constituent petitions Chevron Nigeria

    Senator Clifford Ordia, representing Edo Central in the National Assembly, on Thursday during Senate plenary, raised a petition against Chevron Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Senator Ordia raises the petition on behalf of a constituency member against Chevron Nigeria on their refusal to keep to terms of engagement.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki then referred the petition to the committee on ethics, privileges and public petition to report back in 2 weeks.

    Meanwhile, at resumed plenary sitting on Thursday, the Senate revisited the sealing of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly by security agents.

    Senator Bassey Akpan cites orders 42 and 52 and informed the House of progress on the matter.

    The “security agents are still there. No legislator has been allowed in or out. We owe the people of Akwa Ibom this responsibility. It is not right. An injury to Akwa Ibom State is an injury to Nigeria,” Senator Akpan said.

     

  • National Assembly not responsible for budget delay – Olujimi

    Senate Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi, has advised the Presidency to desist from playing politics with sensitive issues like the budgeting process.

    Senator Olujinmi noted that a recent statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari, blaming the National Assembly for the annual delay in the passage of the Appropriation Act was not only unfortunate but only shows that the Executive arm is not saying the truth.

    “The President himself in June this year expressed surprise during a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly when he was confronted with the fact that ministers and heads of other agencies have refused to defend the budget proposals of their ministries and agencies before legislative committees.

    “On that occasion, the President stated that the information was contrary to what he was fed by his aides before coming for the meeting. He then ordered the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), to compel all heads of MDAs to immediately appear before the respective committees so that the budget can be passed.

    “It is a well known fact that some ministers had in the past appeared before the National Assembly committees and denied certain provisions in the budget of their Ministries. In one instance, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, denied the provision made for the purchase of computers in his ministry as stated in the budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly. This kind of disconnect between budget proposals and the position of the heads of MDAs made the National Assembly to insist on budget defence by heads of MDAs. This has helped to curb the menace of what is known as budget padding.

    “The executive arm needs to further interrogate the efficiency of those involved in budget preparation so that it can realize that one of the causes of delays in budget passage is how the budget estimates submitted to the Legislature come without the necessary details and accompanying documents. What was usually laid before the parliament was mere window dressing documents for the purpose of the presentation ceremony and the photo opportunities.

    “There were also past instances like in the case of the 2016 budget when after the budget proposal was submitted with fanfare, the executive attempted to surreptitiously change what was submitted, thereby leading to allegation of ‘missing budget’ in the media. Later, there were two formal applications for substitution of the budget proposals.

    “All these developments will necessarily lead to delay in the passage of the budget. The National Assembly, in the spirit of co-operation, decided to keep quiet and demonstrated understanding with the executive. Yet, in order to undermine the legislature and incite the people against the institution, the executive will often go to the public to talk ill of the legislature and blame us for its own failure

    “When the President of the Senate told Senate Correspondents at their annual retreat in Jos that there was need for more engagement, dialogue and discussion between the executive and the legislature for the smooth running of governance, key members of the executive publicly condemned the call. We are surprised that the Presidency has now realized the need for constant meetings with legislators when the wave of defection begins to blow around.

    “It should be noted that just as the Presidency needs to engage legislators for partisan issues, the same approach is more needed on the issues of governance, smooth operation of the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances. When the executive runs down the legislature, it does nobody any good,” Olujimi stated.

  • 2019: National Assembly transmits amended electoral bill to Buhari

    The National Assembly on Wednesday transmitted the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Recall that the President had on three previous occasions withheld his assent to the controversial bill, which has provisions to improve on the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Details later…

     

  • Buhari expresses ‘disappointment’ in National Assembly, explains why

    Buhari expresses ‘disappointment’ in National Assembly, explains why

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja expressed disappointment with the conduct of members of the National Assembly with regards to the passage of budgets.

    The president said the “tardiness” in the passage of budgets by the lawmakers, sometimes lasting seven months, delay completion of projects across the country. He urged more effort to speed up the process.

    The president, who received a delegation of ‘Eminent and Respected Citizens of Niger State’ led by Garba Duba, a retired lieutenant general of the army, at the Presidential Villa, said the government’s achievements in ensuring better roads, rails, power and repositioning of the airports ”was in spite of the delays”. He prayed for more understanding and commitment to infrastructural development from the lawmakers.

    “If the National Assembly takes seven months to pass a budget, then we should be commended for the much that we have achieved, and can still achieve,” Mr Buhari said.

    “I personally feel very disappointed. I spoke with the leaders of the National Assembly on the issue that seven months is a long time to work on a budget,’’ he said.

    Mr Buhari said ongoing efforts to improve road and rail networks across the country will be increased as infrastructural development remains paramount for improving the livelihood of Nigerians.

    President Buhari told the delegation, which included Governor Abubakar Bello (Niger State), military and traditional leaders, that his administration will pay more attention to the stretch of 2,150km federal roads in the state.

    On security, he said: “we cannot manage our communities and societies without security. A lot of resources are being diverted to provide security instead of going into infrastructural development.’’

    The president reassured the delegation that his administration will stay focused on securing lives and property, fighting corruption and stimulating the economy for more progress.

    President Buhari said the Minister of Agriculture and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria had been directed to increase monetary supports, through loans, to farmers in the next farming season, ”and ensure that farmers are not overwhelmed with the traditional demand for collaterals”.

    “Traditional institutions and families can serve as guarantors because we cannot continue with that colonial style of asking for collaterals that people don’t have,’’ he added.

    The president also commended the Chinese government for accepting to finance 85 per cent of Nigeria’s infrastructural development need.

    “I thank you so much for coming. It is a good morale booster for me and the country that a State will bring a strong delegation to show appreciation for our efforts,’’ he said.

    In his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Mr Duba, who is a former military governor, commended the president for the significant stride in the repositioning of roads, rails and airports across the country.

    He said Niger State still faced challenges of security along Jebba-Mokwa-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna roads. He urged the president to reinforce surveillance on the routes and also direct more attention on the construction of federal roads in the state.

    The Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar, who is also the Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, commended the president for providing exemplary leadership for the country.

     

  • Presidency explains why Buhari withheld assent to PIGB

    The Presidency has explained why President Muhammadu Buhari withheld assent on the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, made the fact known to State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday.

    He maintained that none of the reasons for the president withholding his assent adduced by the media was true.

    Enang said the president had since communicated why he declined assent to the bill although the communication had yet to be read in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

    “By Presidential communication of July 29, 2018 (one month ago) addressed to the Senate and House of Representatives, Mr President did communicate decline of assent to the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, 2018, for constitutional and legal reasons stated therein.

    “By convention, it is inappropriate to speak on the content of Executive Communication addressed to the Legislature until same has been read on the floor in plenary.

    “But I plead for the understanding of the legislature that due to the misrepresentations in the public domain and apparent deliberate blackmail which if not promptly addressed may set both the executive and the legislature against the public and even the international investment community, this be excused,’’ he said.

    Enang some of the issues raised related to provision of the bill permitting the Petroleum Regulatory Commission to retain 10 per cent of the revenue generated.

    He said such provision unduly would increase the funds accruing to the Commission to the detriment of the revenue available to the federal, states and local governments as well as Federal Capital Territory.

    The presidential aide also said that there were “some legislative drafting concerns, which if assented to in the form presented will create ambiguity and conflict in interpretation.

    “In deference to the National Assembly, I please state very limited of the rationale communicated to the legislature, to wit:

    “That the provision of the Bill permitting the Petroleum Regulatory Commission to retain as much as 10 per cent of the revenue generated unduly increases the funds accruing to the Petroleum Regulatory Commission to the detriment of the revenue available to the Federal, States, Federal capital Territory and Local governments in the country.

    “Expanding the scope of Petroleum Equalisation Fund and some provisions in divergence from this administration’s policy and indeed conflicting provisions on independent petroleum equalisation fund.

    “Some legislative drafting concerns which if Assented to in the form presented will create ambiguity and conflict in interpretation.’’

    Enang expressed the hope that the above explanation might have offered answer to some of the issues raised “until the communication is read on the floor”.

     

  • PIGB panacea for investment in oil, gas sector – Expert

    An energy expert, Mr Bank-Anthony Okoroafor, says the passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) into law will facilitate massive investment in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

    Okoroafor in an Interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday noted that the law would guarantee trust for investors.

    The National Assembly in March passed an aspect of the age-long PIGB as a new framework to regulate the petroleum sector.

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki during the passage of bill said: “This bill, PIGB, that has been here for many years, we made a commitment and it is being fulfilled.

    “The bill is not only for Nigerians but for our investors. We are proud of what has been done,’’ he said.

    However, President Muhammadu Buhari has yet to give assent to the bill to enable it to become law.

    Okorafor said: most investors believed that the PIGB meant to address issues concerning the oil and gas industry in Nigeria might not become law before the next election.

    “The investors’ dilemmas are the risks associated with uncertainty. Most investors are still waiting for the full passage of the PIGB.

    “They are not sure of the effect of the PIGB on their businesses,’’ Okoroafor said.

    According to him, operators with onshore assets are of the view that the law will affect their current and future earnings because of higher taxes and host community levies.

    He said operators on deep water assets were worried about regulatory and fiscal issues.

    “ We are still optimistic about investments coming into the petroleum industry in Nigeria if we can get our acts together, pass the full PIGB and have a peaceful election,’’ he said.

    The PIGB seeks to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and provide for the establishment of Federal Ministry of petroleum incorporated.

    It also aims to establish Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigeria Petroleum Assets Management Company and National Petroleum Company and Petroleum Equalisation Fund.

    The proposed law is expected to impose five per cent levy on fuel sold across the country, he said.

    Meanwhile, Okorafor commended Buhari for signing the gas flare commercialisation project considering that the outlook for gas flare commercialisation projects presently looked good.

     

  • Lawmaker strips naked during speech in front of National Assembly [Video]

    A Venezuelan lawmaker, Gilber Caro, on Tuesday stripped down to his underwear during an emotional debate in front of the country’s National Assembly.

    Caro in a passionate speech that elicited applause from his audience removed his jacket and then his blue shirt, before walking off to remove his belt and his trousers, all the while continuing his speech.

    Gilber Caro, a member of the opposition party Popular Will, called for unity and support for Juan Requesens, 29, an opposition leader who was accused and jailed for allegedly having a role in an assassination attempt on President Nicolas Maduro on August 4 during a military celebration.

    While removing his clothes, Caro, 43, asked his audience, “Where does a man’s dignity rest?”

    “A man’s dignity and love is not carried inside what I just finished removing,’ Caro yelled. ‘The dignity is in the heart and we carry Venezuela in the heart, [too],” said Caro, who only regained his freedom in June, after spending 17 months in jail after Maduro accused him of carrying out terror attacks in 2016.

    Watch the moment, Caro stripped as shared by VPItv on Youtube:

     

  • BREAKING: National Assembly postpones Tuesday’s reconvening

    BREAKING: National Assembly postpones Tuesday’s reconvening

    The National Assembly will no longer reconvene on Tuesday, August 14.

    This announcement was made by Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, who told Punch that the house was yet to decide the date to reconvene.

    This is contrary to the announcement made by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr Yusuf Lasun, who said the Senate will reconvene on Tuesday to to consider the budget for the 2019 polls and other pending issues forwarded to lawmakers by President Muhammadu Buhari in July.

    Ahead of the meeting, tempers were flaring especially at the Senate, where senators belonging to the ruling All Progressives Congress are calling for the resignation of Senator Bukola Saraki, representing Kwara Central, as president.

    The APC senators said since their party controls a simple majority in the upper chamber, it will be preposterous for Saraki, now a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, with minority presence, to remain as the leader.

    There had been threats and counter threats, with Saraki’s spokesmen and his minority party swearing that Saraki cannot be removed, unless the APC senators are able to muster two-third support in the senate.

    The APC has a different interpretation of the constitution. The National Assembly broke up for recess on 24 July. It was due to reconvene on 25 September, until the executive pleaded it break the recess to consider urgent national matters, such as a supplementary budget and INEC budget for 2019 polls.

  • You can’t remove Saraki, Ekweremadu – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the All Progressives Congress (APC) lacks the legislative number and constitutional facilities to remove Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

    In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Friday in Abuja, the party advised the Presidency and the APC to “accept the reality’’.

    It said that Presidency and the APC, having realized that there was no way they could muster the constitutionally required two-third votes of the 109 senators, representing 73 senators, was now engaged in under-hand tactics.

    These, according to it, include the invasion of the National Assembly.

    “Even before then, Nigerians were already aware of moves to use humongous funds to induce lawmakers to trigger crisis in the National Assembly and
    pave the way for the removal of presiding officers.

    “Now that they have discovered that there is no way they can achieve their devious intentions, they have commenced a war of blackmail,
    distortions of fact and media trial against the Senate leadership.”

    It said that the attempts would end up as another wasteful venture as Nigerians were aware of the long-drawn desperation to annex the legislature.

    The PDP added that even among the ranks of APC senators and members of House of Representatives, there is huge aversion to the tactics being deployed to force out duly elected presiding officers of the assembly.

    It said that such lawmakers were fully aligned with Nigerians, the PDP and the national assembly leadership in the protection of the independence, sanctity and integrity of the parliament and all democratic institutions in the country.

    “It is therefore instructive for both the Presidency and the APC
    to know that there is no way they can remove the leadership of the
    National Assembly, particularly the Senate.”

    It cautioned against over-heating the polity and attempts to circumvent rules and the Constitution, saying that such would not change the resolve of Nigerians to vote out APC in 2019.

     

  • National Assembly will reconvene next week — Deputy Speaker

    National Assembly will reconvene next week — Deputy Speaker

    The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun on Thursday confirmed that the National Assembly will reconvene Tuesday next week to consider matters of public interest.

    Lasun made this announcement on Thursday shortly after a meeting of the All Progressives Congress caucus in the National Assembly.

    “First, let me make one thing very clear that we are on a lawful break. We didn’t just adjourn in order to run away from our duties, but went on recess at the time we normally have our annual recess.

    “But based on the president’s request and the meeting we held with INEC Chairman on Wednesday, we are convinced on the need to reconvene and address them,” he said.

    Issues expected to be considered are supplementary budget, as well as approval of funds for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable it prepare for the elections.

    Rising from the meeting that lasted for about three hours, the Caucus called for urgent and thorough investigation of the invasion of the parliament by armed men from the State Security Services (SSS) on Tuesday.

    Mr Lasun frowned at the formation of various groups within the APC caucus.

    Apparently referring to the Abdulmumin Jibrin-led Parliamentary Support Group, a pro-Buhari group in the House, he insisted that “nobody, no matter the group he/she belongs to can say that they like and support President Buhari more that the APC Caucus”, adding that “the Caucus remains one united body.

    The deputy speaker said President Buhari will run for re-election as a consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “Before he emerged in 2015, I was already campaigning for Buhari in 2014, and the party’s national leadership and all its organs had agreed in principle that the President will be our consensus candidate in 2019.

    “Mark my words, I said this on principle. And when the time for primaries reaches for candidates to be elected, we are all going to adopt President Buhari as a consensus candidate of the APC, so let nobody come to deceive anyone that they love the President or Nigeria more than some of us,” he said.